What We Are
by cheerfulhoshi
Summary: Snippets of what it would have been like if Akira Sendoh grew up next to the Akagi siblings. My first Slam Dunk fic
1. I - Haruko

**_I just love how easygoing Sendoh seems to be, and I also love Haruko's sweet and kind demeanor. There isn't really any hint of romance between them, so this is my take on how it would be if Akira Sendoh grew up next to the Akagi siblings. Also, these snippets have long since been written by my 18-year-old self and I think it's time her works get published. (Not to mention, it's my first ever Slam Dunk fic) I hope you enjoy! Comments would be very much appreciated._**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: This fic is based on my very little knowledge (or what I can remember) from much of the anime. Characters aren't mine._**

* * *

 **HARUKO AKAGI**

Kaede Rukawa, the black-haired best friend and star-crossed lover of my life, is… _not so_ good at basketball that it hurts sometimes. But everything I've said up to this point is a lie. The truth is he probably knows me, if he even cared at all, as the team captain's younger sister.

" _GANBATTE, RUKAWA-SAMA!"_ the girls from his fan club scream as Rukawa-kun receives the long pass from Miyagi-san to score. The whole gym shakes as he earns Shohoku yet another point against Kainan. As he jogs to their half of the court, he looks up briefly at my direction. The girls beside me are ballistic while I freeze to the spot. Was he looking at me? I hope so, because my heart stopped. But then onii-san called for his attention and he hastened his pace to the other side. My breathing starts to even. I whisper a small cheer.

"Rukawa sure is on fire, huh." Akira, my _real_ childhood friend and arguably Ryonan's MVP, says beside me. His towering figure is hunched easily over the railing as if the energetic and tension-filled game was nothing but a relaxing stage play. I notice he was starting to get the attention of some girls around him. He's good-looking, so it must be his popularity. So unfair.

"What's unfair?" he asks and I realize I said it out loud.

"What? Nothing." I tuck a strand of my hair and focus back on the game. Mitsui-san is already going for the three-point line, which made me wonder how much of the game I've already missed because of Akira. "I sure hope Shohoku wins though," I mumble under my breath.

"It's still too early to decide," he replies a matter-of-factly and straightens his back to cross his arms. A few people behind him start to complain but he probably doesn't hear them because he's too focused. "Kainan would never want to lose, especially in a practice game."

I smile. "Well Shohoku won't lose either." I cup my hands on the sides of my mouth and scream. "GO SHOHOKU! _GANBATTE, NII-SAN!_ _GANBATTE_ SHOHOKU!"

The crowd goes wild again, so do the people behind Akira. He even earns some cuss words. But when he turns around to apologize with a goofy smile, the students freeze. _"Shit. He's from Ryonan."_ I hear one say before Akira hunches back against the railings again. A proud smile graces my lips before I turn my attention back to the game, in time to see Kainan's captain dunk.

Minutes later, the game ends with a final score of 94-93 in Kainan's favor. When the basketball players shake hands, the crowd of spectators start dissolving, leaving only me, Akira, and Sakuragi-kun's friends.

"Nice foul out, Hanamichi!" was their initial greeting, which led them to their usual bickering. I was about to congratulate him myself, but my focus was pulled out from them when Rukawa-kun emerged. I gave him a small wave and greeted him instead, but I don't think he heard. Was my voice too small? I put my hand down immediately before anyone else could notice.


	2. II - Haruko

**So I just found out that apparently I'm not the only one that ships them XD Also I stumbled upon another Haruko X Sendoh fic so please do tell me if you've got comments or anything. Thank you!**

* * *

 **HARUKO AKAGI**

Outside the boys' locker room, I wait for my brother to finish. I was sitting down by myself when the door opens. I look up and see Rukawa-kun with a towel draped around his shoulders. I freeze once again as I watch him walk- his broad shoulders, long legs, shiny black hair, handsome face. He looks stoic and so faraway, when I accidentally blurt out his name.

He doesn't turn, and I brace myself for his reaction. Nothing comes, and he continues to walk away. His echoing footsteps make me feel a little more embarrassed. I've just been ignored. I expected as much. After all, I'm just the captain's sister, one of the girls who admire him from a distance.

"Haruko!"

I turn to meet Akira's face. I think he just caught me. _Oh no!_

"What's with you? You look as if you've been caught stalking someone." He grins suggestively.

I jump to my feet and cover his mouth. Why is he _so_ tall? "Ssshh! Keep your voice down, would you?" I sneak a sideways glance at Rukawa-kun and sigh when I realized he was long gone. Meanwhile, Akira says something through my palm (his eyes are sparkling as if he's smiling) but I can't make out any of it. "What?"

He points to my hand and instantly I let go. His smile is still plastered on. "So you _are_ stalking someone." He nudges my arm.

"What? N-No, I'm not!"

"Ssshh!" He puts a finger hastily on my lips. Then he whispers, his face awfully close. "Keep your voice down."

"What? Why?" I ask in the same level of his voice.

An eyebrow raises. "You just said so a while ago."

He tucks his hand into his pocket while we laugh. "Come on, let's go." He says and points his head to the opposite direction.

"Where? What about nii-san?"

"He's already at the entrance, though," he answered without turning to me. "He asked me to get you because you because you were busy stalking."

"I was not!"

He chuckles. "Yes, you definitely were."

.

.

.

"Anyway, where'd you run off to after the match? You suddenly disappeared." I ask him while walking towards the cafe where I'm meeting up with my friends. Nii-san had somewhere else to go with Kogure-san, so Akira ended up accompanying me instead.

"Sorry," he has an easy smile as he scratches his head. He didn't really seem sorry at all. "It just feels weird meeting with all the other teams like this, that is."

I urge him to lean closer to me. When he does, I flick his head and he winces in pain. " _Baka._ Why would that be weird? You wouldn't be intruding anything. Besides, you're my brother's best friend after Kogure-san-"

"And yours, too."

Silence.

"Just because." We've arrived at the shop so when I look up at him expecting more, he says, "Nothing." Then he pats my head and urges me to get inside. So I did. But as soon as I was seated with my friends, I receive a text from him.

It says:

 _Just kidding. I just needed to use the rest room ;)_

Goofy. As always.


	3. I - Akira

_Akira Sendoh thinks of the aftermath following Haruko's confession to Rukawa... and rejection._

* * *

 **AKIRA SENDOH**

I met the Akagi siblings when I was seven. Haruko was six, and Takenori was eight. When I figured they liked basketball as much as I did, we were inseparable. Except of course that time when I chose Ryonan over Shohoku during high school. My grandparents liked that school, and not to mention, closer to where I now live. Plus, I'm always late so it just kind of worked for me.

"Akira Sendoh!"

I immediately drop my gym bag upon my entry and turn to face the source. "Yes, coach?"

As always, he slaps his paper fan on my head and motions his hand across the gym. "Give me ten laps around the gym!"

"Yes, coach!"

"NOW!"

I immediately break into a run while the other members continued to warm up. Coach's voice become distant as Haruko's image come into my mind. I still couldn't shake the way her face must have fallen when Rukawa turned down her confession. The way she looked when she came to me… it was the first time I've seen her so down.

And the warmth when she cried on my chest… the way my heart skipped a beat. It shouldn't be a big deal because that's what friends do, but the way she felt against my shirt still burn on my skin.

Unconsciously, I slow down after my third lap and find myself rummaging through my gym bag. I am aware that coach is yelling at me, and that he's probably coming towards me, but I just had to do this. Finally I find my phone and press her number on speed dial. She picks up at the second ring. "Akira?" she seemed disoriented that I should call at a time like this. She knows I'm in practice. Knowing this, I can't help the smile on my face. "What's the matter?"

"Are you… are you all right now?"

"Oh. Yeah, I'm okay," she hesitates. "But what about you? Shouldn't you be practicing?"

 _Always the concerned one_. How could Rukawa even reject someone like her? "I am, actually. I just thought maybe you wanted someone to talk to.

"Thank you," she says and I hear a smile. "I'll talk to you later. You should go. Your coach is probably going to-"

"CONFISCATED."

Uzumi's deep voice comes from behind me. I flash him a grin before I run around the gym for my life. Instead, he adds me another eight laps for my disobedience and lack of focus. But right now I couldn't care less. At least I know Haruko's fine.


End file.
